According to insiders, Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson, who costarred in 2008’s “The Other Boleyn Girl,” are among the actresses in the mix to play Lisbeth Salander as Alvarez begins meeting with talent. Johansson vied for the role that eventually went to Rooney Mara in the first film. However, that was due, in part, to director David Fincher’s involvement, so it’s unclear if the interest level is still as high.

“I’m hugely excited and grateful for this opportunity,” Alvarez said. “Sony has become family to me and I can’t think of a more thrilling project to celebrate our relationship. Lisbeth Salander is the kind of character any director dreams of bringing to life. We’ve got a great script and now comes the most fun part — finding our Lisbeth.”

Penned by David Lagercrantz, the new book will be the first in the best-selling series to be produced into an English-language film in its initial adaptation. The previous books in the series have been adapted into Swedish-language films, and “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” was a remake of the Swedish film. It became a global hit for Columbia Pictures, taking in over $230 million worldwide.

The announcement was made Monday at the London Book Fair during a celebration for the fifth Millennium book launch, also by Lagercrantz. Sony’s Columbia Pictures retains the rights to all future Millennium Series books.

“In all of contemporary literature, Lisbeth Salander is completely sui generis — probably one of the greatest female literary characters of all time in my view. Modern punk defiance personified, she is unforgettable in every incarnation, truly one of the most compelling characters we’ve seen in recent years,” said Sanford Panitch, president of Columbia Pictures. “David Lagercrantz’s brilliant work in continuing this remarkable series honors Stieg Larsson’s masterpiece. We at Sony are so honored to be part of this series with Yellowbird, and we’re so excited to be making an original film of ‘The Girl in the Spider’s Web.’ Fede Alvarez is the perfect choice to direct. Fede is an amazing director with a unique vision of the world. In particular, his talent and skill in creating psychological intensity will bring Lisbeth Salander back into popular movie culture with a roar.”

Wait, “The Girl in the Spider’s Web?” That is not the title of the next book in the trilogy. What is Sony trying to pull here? And Rooney Mara did an excellent job as Lisbeth, so I do not know why they are changing up the entire cast (probably because Daniel Craig and Rooney want more money) but they really should pay the dough and keep to the same folks.

The reporter should clarify that this project is not the continuation/sequel to THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO since there are 2 other books [and Swedish films] that continue the Millennial story. This project would be the 4th installment of a series that does not have the approval of the original author’s companion.

Rooney Mara can be an effective actress in the right part, but Lisbeth Salander? I liked her performance, but she has not a very magnetic presence and little charisma. Noomi Rapace looked much more powerful and you couldn’t take your eyes from her. Mara is too fragile and empty-looking to be Lisbeth.

God no-Rapace played Salander as the prototypical stoic bad ass chick. Your comments about Mara and her presence show that you clearly haven’t read the book and don’t know anything about Lisbeth. Mara completely embodied the alien like quality, repressed rage, self-loathing and vulnerability of Lisbeth from the books, not to mention she fits the physical description much closer of what was described in the books. Rapace’s idea of a performance was to walk around stoically with a slight scowl on her face. Fincher’s version is the definitive and true adaptation of the character.

This could be better than David Fincher’s “Girl with the dragon tattoo”, which wasn’t as good as the Swedish original & shouldn’t have been made.

Especially the last act and the new ending didn’t work as well, not to speak of the the cheesy near-James-Bond-parody-title-credits, which were unintentionally funny, but not as hip as Fincher probably thought they were. All in all, it was Fincher’s weakest film, wasn’t it?

And there was no reason for that movie to have cost $ 90 mill. dollars, because it had no big stars (except Daniel Craig) and very few action scenes. It only cost as much because Fincher likes to polish his visuals, which is O.K., but you need to polish the screenplay first.

Rooney Mara was good, but not as great as Noomi Rapace. The problem with Mara is, that she’s kind of bland, cold and too average-looking for that part.

The Swedish original was made for TV tripe and the Fincher version is the superior adaptation. And Mara was infinitely superior to Rapace. That coldness is the whole point of Lisbeth-she’s an alien, an abstraction that sticks out like a sore thumb and yet easily disappears into the shadows. That blank slate and chameleon quality that Mara has is the same that Lisbeth has. When I was watching Rapace I was always watching some chick awkwardly dressed as a goth (not to mention she looks horrible at that scene at the end where she disguises herself as the rich girl). Whereas Mara completely disappeared into the character’s skin. The looks, body language, cold stares, angel of death persona-it’s as if she was taken straight out of the pages and put on screen. She achieved more with less, which is the whole point of Lisbeth’s personality. The fact that she won’t be returning kills any desire for me to watch this.

LaughingBoy, I know you can’t be cured, but Fincher’s version is NOT superior only because his visuals are more monochrome and he’s closer to the book. Sometimes being too faithful to a book is bad for a movie. The Swedish version was a little more mainstream and fun than Finchers arty version, but it simply told the same story in a better way. The pacing and casting was better: Every actor was so well cast. You Fincher-fan boys need to learn, that the actors, pacing and simply good storytelling are more important than all the bluish or greenish tint in the world. And the American version has way too much product placement: That pis*es me off, too. $90 mill. dollars, but they still need to show us brands in every second scene ? Come on…Fincher is overrated, especially this movie.

Chuck, “You are obviously a huge Fincher fan” no-I’m a fan of the book, and the Fincher version captures the essence of Salander and the strengths of the book better. The swedish version really isn’t a better movie in every way-don’t know who these “most people” are but they’ve either not read the book or are too butt hurt that this is one of the rare cases where the Hollywood version is superior to the original. People too blinded by cultural puritinism. I don’t see why you’re trying to project this narrative that the fincher version is trying to elevate it to a work of art, since to me it treats like what you described it as-a Swedish Noir crime (except it does it better).

LaughingBoy, You are obviously a huge Fincher fan (…or David Fincher himself ?), but I don’t agree with your opinions here…The Swedish version is the better movie in every way and most people who say both say the same. The Fincher version is not a bad film, but a lesser movie, that tried too hard to be taken seriously as a ‘whorl of art’. Which it isn’t. It’s only a Swedish Noir crime bestseller.

Urgh. No Rooney Mara, no David Fincher and no original Steig Larsson material. I’m not that psyched! It feels like this is going to be just another big studio release, with a lot of honchos involved. Yet another I’m-a-tough-grrrl movie, but with no distinctive filmmaking flair as the original team once brought to it.

Trevor, the budget may have been $90 million, but you neglected to add another $90 million for P&A. A global gross of $233 million on a $180 million expenditure hardly warrants a sequel. And with Amy Pascal as one of its eleven producers, SONY continues on its path to self-destruction.